mocallum



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. MOGALLUM.

POTATO BIGGER.

- ed Nov. 27, 1888'.

(No Model.) l l 2 Sheets-Sheiet 2. J. MGCALLUM.

POTATO DIGGBR.

No. 398,380. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT erica.

JAMES MOCALLUM, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. MCOALLUM MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PoTAT'o-Dleei-:a

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 393,380, dated November 27, 1888.

LADDlication led January 3, ISES. Serial No. 259.727, (No model.)

To all w'tom t may concern: G is a riddle composed of longitudinal bars Beit known that I, JAMES MOCALLUM, rec and suitable cross bars. The front end of siding at Elgin, in the county of Kane and this riddle is pivoted to the main frame.

State of Illinois, and a subject of the Queen of d are tappets on the sprocket-wheels E, ar-

Great Britain, have invented a new and useranged to engage with the upper end of the 55 ful Improvement in Potato-Diggers, of which riddle G and agitate it.

the following is a specification, reference be- H is the tongue to which the draft-animals ing had to the accompanying drawings, in re to be secured. It is sugported, as shown,

whichby a crank axle, w hi ch is supported by wheels I.

Io Figure l is a central longitudinal vertical J J are bars, the rear ends of which are se 6o section. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is adetail, cured to the main frame, and the forward ends being a plan of one of the riddles. Fig. 4 isa are brought near together. Secured to the detail, being a perspective oi' the deliveringforward end of each bar, as shown, is a segrods and frame to which they are attached. mental rack, K.

[5 Fig. 5 is a detail, being a perspective of part L is a lever, the forward end of which is 65 of the rods from which the vines and weeds pivoted to the rear end of the tongue. The are delivered. Fig. 6 isa detail in perspeclever is also pivoted between the two arms or tive, showinga portion of the rim of one wheel bars J, near their forward ends, and at the and one arm or spoke. Figs. 7 and 8 are depointe.

ze tails showing one of the grabs secured to the j is a lock or latch, the forward end of 7o arms. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailof onepin which is arranged to engage with the seg ion with its flange and the ratchet-wheel and mental rack and hold the lever Il in any depawl. Fig. l0 is an enlarged sectional detail sired position. showing the construction ofthe tappets. g are bars secured to the rear end ol' the My invention relates to that class ofpotatomain frame. 'It is a shaft supported in said 7 diggers which have a` mai n frame mounted on bars g. wheels and an endless carrier and a riddle op- M are sprocket-wheels on the shaft l1., which erating within the frame. are driven by a chain, t', which passes over a The objects of my invention are to provide sprocketwheel, b', on the shaft a and over an- 3o improved devices for carrying away the vines other sprocket wheel, c, on the shaft h, as .Se

and weeds and delivering them to one side, shown in Fig. 2. to provide improved devices for the adjnst- N is an endless carrier, which consists of two ment ofthe pitch and depth of cutting ofthe endless chains,jj, and cross bars 7;,which earshovel, and to make other minor improverier is driven by the sprocket-wheels M.

i'll

ments, which I accomplish as illustrated in O is a riddle pivoted at its front end to the S5 the drawings and hereinafter set forth. main frame. The side bars, Z, of the riddle Those things which I claim as new will be extend to the rear some distance beyond the set forth in the claims. riddle itself and engage with tappetsm on the In the drawings, A represents the main sprocket-wheels M, by which this riddleis agi- 40 frame,which is mounted on main wheels B B, tated. 9o each of which is provided with a gear-wheel, n are a series of inclined fingers or rods at C, which drive the operating parts, as usual. the rear ol the machine, which are supported D is an endless carrier, which consists of at one end by an arm, L(/,whieh may be an extwo endless chains, a, and crossbars b, secured tension of one of the bars g.' to the chains. o are a series of fingers or rods secured at E E are two sprocket-wheels on a shaft, a', one end to the cross-bar of a frame,whieh frame which is supported in suitable bearings, which is pivoted at its rear end to the main frame. sprocket-wheels drive the endless carrier D. The side bars, p, of the last-mentioned frame F is a shovel secured to the frontend of the are arranged to engage with tappets on the 5o `frame A. outside of the sprocket-wheels E, by which the roc frame p and rods o are agitated. The rear ends ol" these rods o are arranged in a curved line and form a grate.

q are grabs, each having1 an arm, r, on one side and a ilange, s, on the other. The arm and ilange enter notches t in the rim u of the wheel, and are secured to the wheel by a bolt which passes through the projecting end of the arm rand through one ofthe spokes or through a bracket secured to the inside of the wheel rim.

c is a pawl which is pivoted at one end lo the pinion It. The other end engages with the ratchet-wheel Q. As shown, on the opposite side et' the machine there is a corresponding ratehetwheel and pawl, and the pawl is pivoted to a llange on the pinion.

S is a drivers seat.

The tappets d m are ofpeculiar construction. Each consists ot' a lug, j", cast on the spreek et-wheel, and a cup-washer, d, secured in place 0n the lug by a bolt, e,whi`ch construction will add much to the durability of the tappets, because when the washer becomes worn it can be easily turned around, and also replaced by a new one when worn out. This construction is not shown in Fig. l, the parts being too small, but is shown in Fig. 10. The riddle O or the framep,with the delivciyiods 0, can be readily removed from the machine, and it is not necessary to use both at the same time; but both are import-ant, one or the other being used according to circumstances.

The operation is as follows: The potatoes and vines,when the machine is in motion,will pass up over the shovel to the carrier D, and by it they will be carried up over the riddle G, the dirt falling through the riddle. and the potatoes and vines will be delivered at the upper end of the carrier D and will be received by the carrier N. The vines will be delivered to the rods n, from which they will fall to the ground at one side; but the potatoes will be carried up over the riddle O and will fall from the uppercnd thereof. When this riddle O is used, the delivery rods o and the framep will not be required and may be removed from the machine. The potatoes maybe delivered from the upper end ot' the riddle O to a receptacle holding, say, a bushel, which maybe arranged to receive them, such receptacle being secured to the main frame, as usual. This receptacle I have not shown, as it forms no part of my present invention. Ifdesired,the riddle O may be removed, the delivery-i'ods o and frame p being then attarhed to the machine, in which case the vines will be delivered as before; but the potatoes will fall through the endless earrier N onto the delivery-rods o and be delivered in a compact line upon the ground.

The inclination and depth of cutting ofthe shovel can be readily adjusted by means ofthe lever L.

The grabs are arranged ata little angle with the spokes of the wheels, whereby there is little resistance as they pass out of the ground. By removing` the bolt which fastens each one ol' the grabs to the wheel the grabs can be removed and secured in place in a reverse position, which is important when moving from one place to another. The pinions which engage with the wheels C are not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, being concealed by the wheels. The pawls can be lifted away from the ratchets by hand whenever desired.

Vtfhat l claim as new, and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a potato-digger, the combination, with a main frame carrying a shovel and wheels, B B, of the reversible grabs q, secured thereto and each provided with an arm, o, and a flange, s, an endless carrier, D, a riddle, G, a second carrier, N, a removable riddle, O, arm g', and inclined lingers u, supported thereby, substantially as described.

2. In a potato-digger, the combination,with a main frame mounted on wheels and carrying a shovel, of a tongue support-ed ou wheels, bars J, secured to the main frame and having segmental racks secured to their forward ends, and a lever, L, provided with locking mechanism,pivoted directly t0 the tongue and also to the bars J, an endless carrier, D, sprocketwhcel E, a riddle, G, and tappets consisting of a lug and a cap-washer held in place upon the lug on said wheel, and a removable frame, p, carrying the delivery-rods o, substantially as described.

3. ln a potato digger, the combination,with a main frame mounted on wheels and carrying a shovel and the endless carrier D, ol' the riddle G, sprocketfwheel E, having tappcts d, a second carrier, N, sprocket-whcels M, and an agitating 'frame consisting of a series of lingers, o, side bars, p, pivoted to the main frame. and a cross-bar to which said fingers are secured, the side bars, p, engaging with tappets on the outside of sp1'ocketwlieels E, substantially as described.

4. rlhe reversible grabs q, each provided with an arm, t', and a liange, s, in combination with a notched wheel-rim provided with spokes or brackets to which the grabs are se cured at au angle with the spokes or brackets, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

J AMES MCCAL'LUM. W itnesses:

ALBERT H. ADAMS, HARRY T. J oNns. 

